Comparison of Metacognitions in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Healthy Controls

Introduction

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are common psychiatric disorders. Researchers studying the pathophysiology of these two disorders evaluated the effect of metacognition. However, there is no research examining the metacognition differences of these two psychiatric conditions.

Objectives

This study was performed to compare the metacognitions in OCD, GAD and healthy controls.

Methods

The sample of this study consisted of 158 GAD and 137 OCD patients aged 18-65 years who presented to outpatient psychiatry clinic and applied to the health committee 168 healthy controls without psychopathology. Sociodemographic data form, Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire-30 scale(MCQ-30), Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory(BAI) were applied to the volunteer participants who met the criteria for participation in the study. The data obtained were evaluated statistically and subjected to statistical analysis.

Results

The mean age was 31.89 ± 10.86 years and was 60.5% (n = 208) women. There was statistical difference between marital status, occupation and income(p <0.05). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference between MCQ-30 total and subscales, BDI and BAI (p <0.001). According to the comparison of OCD and GAD patients, ’positive belief’, MCQ-30 total and BAI scores were found to be statistically different (p <0.05), ’Uncontrollability and danger’, ’Cognitive Confidence’, ’Beliefs about The Need to Control Thoughts’, ’Cognitive Self-Consciousness’, BDI there was no statistical difference between them (p> 0.05).

Conclusions

Our results are contributing to the understanding of the uncertainty of development and maintenance of OCD and GAD. Additionally, metacognitions could be important for the diagnosis and treatment of OCD and GAD.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Microwave ablation of symptomatic benign thyroid nodules: Short- and long-term effects on thyroid function tests, thyroglobulin and thyroid autoantibodies

OBJECTIVE

Microwave ablation therapy has been attracting great attention due to its advantages such as low complication rate, good cosmetic results and effective nodule shrinking. Although the effect of thermal ablation therapy on the nodule volume reduction rate has been shown several studies, a limited number of papers have been reported for the effects of microwave ablation (MWA) on thyroid function tests. The aim of this study was to investigate the short- and long-term effects of MWA therapy on thyroid function tests (TFTs), thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid autoantibodies in euthyroid patients.

DESIGN, PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS

Demographic data of the patients, TFTs, Tg, thyroid autoantibodies and thyroid volume of the nodules were recorded before the procedure and follow-up. Any differences in serum thyroid hormone levels were investigated in pre-, post- and 6-month follow-up periods before and after MWA.

RESULTS

The difference between all thyroid hormone levels at pre MWA and 24 h after MWA was statistically significant (p < .001). FT3 (4.62) pmol/L and FT4 (10.81) pmol/L median levels increased significantly (p < .001), while thyrotropin (TSH) levels decreased at 24 h after MWA (p < .001). Thyroid antibodies levels were not statistically different at 6-month (p > .05), whereas Tg levels decreased (p < .001) compared to pre MWA.

CONCLUSIONS

While no significant effect was observed at 6 month, the effect of MWA on thyroid function tests was prominent at 24 h.

The effect of cold on the occurrence of bruising, haematoma and pain at the injection site in subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of local dry cold application on the occurrence of bruising, haematoma and pain at the injection site in subcutaneous low molecular weight heparin injections. The research involved 63 patients who had received 2 x 20 mg enoxaparine and who were divided into four treatment groups. In the first group, cold was not applied. Cold was applied to the injection site for 5 min before the injection in the second group, and for 5 min after the injection in the third group. In the fourth group, it was applied to the injection site for 5 min pre and post injection. Following each injection, the patients' pain intensity and duration were measured, and the presence of bruise and haematoma were measured at 48 and 72 h after the injection. Results showed that a haematoma did not occur at the injection site of any subject, and there was no significant difference in the incidence or size of bruise among the groups; however, the subjects' perception of pain was significantly less with ice application.

Synthesis and antiviral activity of 6-benzoyl-benzoxazolin-2-one and 6-benzoyl-benzothiazolin-2-one derivatives

The synthesis and antiviral activity of an original series of 6-benzoyl-benzoxazolin-2-one and 6-benzoyl-benzothiazolin-2-one derivatives are described. Several compounds were found to have a selective inhibitory activity against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in vitro, being inactive against a variety of other DNA and RNA viruses. 6-(3-fluorobenzoyl)benzoxazolin-2-one, 6-(3-fluorobenzoyl)benzothiazolin-2-one, 6-(3-bromobenzoyl)benzothiazolin-2-one, 6-(3-iodobenzoyl)benzothiazolin-2-one, 3-methyl-6-(3-fluorobenzoyl)benzothiazolin-2-one, 3-benzyl-6-benzoyl-benzothiazolin-2-one, 3-benzyl-6-(3-fluorobenzoyl)benzothiazolin-2-one and 3-benzoyl-6-(3-fluorobenzoyl)benzothiazolin-2-one were the most active of the series against HCMV and VZV with a selectivity index (CC50/IC50) ranging from 10 to 20. They displayed similar activity against thymidine kinase competent (TK+) and deficient (TK-) VZV strains, and also proved to be active against clinical HCMV isolates that were resistant to ganciclovir (GCV). Time-of-addition experiments revealed a site of interaction with the HCMV replicative cycle that may be close or similar to that of GCV and cidofovir (HPMPC). The compounds showed poor, if any, activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2, and were not inhibitory against human immunodeficiency virus and other DNA and RNA viruses. Therefore, these compounds may represent a novel lead for the development of specific HCMV and VZV drugs.

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of 2(3H)-benzoxazolone and 2(3H)-benzothiazolone derivatives

A series of 2(3H)-benzoxazolone and 2(3H)-benzothiazolone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for anticonvulsant activity. The compounds were assayed, intraperitoneally in mice and per os in rats, against seizures induced by maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazole (scMet). Neurologic deficit was evaluated by the rotarod test. The compounds were prepared to determine the relationship between the 2(3H)-benzoxazolone and 2(3H)-benzothiazolone derivatives' structures and anticonvulsant activity. Several of these compounds showed significant anticonvulsant activity. Compounds 43 and 45 were the most active of the series against MES-induced seizures with ED50 values of 8.7 and 7.6 mg/kg, respectively. Compound 45 displayed good protection against MES-induced seizures and low toxicity in rats with an oral ED50 of 18.6 mg/kg and a protective index (PI = TD50/ED50) of < 26.9. In vitro receptor binding studies revealed that compounds 43 and 45 bind to sigma 1 receptors with nanomolar affinities.

2(3H)-benzoxazolone and 2(3H)-benzothiazolone derivatives: novel, potent and selective sigma1 receptor ligands

A series of original 2(3H)-benzoxazolone and 2(3H)-benzothiazolone derivatives were evaluated for their affinity at sigma1 and sigma2 receptor subtypes in competition binding experiments, using [3H](+)-pentazocine or [3H]1,3-di-o-tolyl-guanidine (DTG) in the presence of 100 nM (+)-N-allylnormetazocine (NANM) in guinea-pig brain membranes. Several of these derivatives showed preferential selectivity for sigma1 binding sites. Compound 1 [3-(1-piperidinoethyl)-6-propylbenzothiazolin-2-one] emerged as a potent sigma1 receptor ligand (Ki = 0.6 nM) and displayed a moderate selectivity over the sigma2 receptor subtype (Ki for sigma2/Ki for sigma1 = 29). Compounds 2 [3-(1-piperidinopropyl)-6-propanoylbenzothiazolin-2-one] and 3 [3-(1-piperidinopropyl)-6-propanoylbenzoxazolin-2-one] still showed rather high affinities for sigma1 binding sites with Ki values of 2.3 and 8.5 nM, respectively. On the contrary, they had 87- and 58-fold less affinity at sigma2 receptors, respectively. Unlike their potent affinity for sigma binding sites, these compounds had negligible affinity for mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptors, 5-HT2, dopamine D2, and muscarinic M2 receptors. Sigma receptor ligands may affect neuronal transmission and display, in animal models, antipsychotic, cognitive, motor, neuroprotective and anticonvulsant activity. Therefore, on the basis of these findings, these novel sigma receptor ligands were assayed, in mice, in three tests: maximal electroshock, subcutaneous pentylenetetrazol and rotarod neurotoxicity. Compound 1, administered intraperitoneally, was the most effective against maximal electroshock-induced seizures and was devoid of significant neurotoxic effects.

Identification of image and blur parameters in frequency domain using the EM algorithm

We extend a method presented previously, which considers the problem of the semicausal autoregressive (AR) parameter identification for images degraded by observation noise only. We propose a new approach to identify both the causal and semicausal AR parameters and blur parameters without a priori knowledge of the observation noise power and the PSF of the degradation. We decompose the image into 1-D independent complex scalar subsystems resulting from the vector state-space model by using the unitary discrete Fourier transform (DFT). Then, by applying the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to each subsystem, we identify the AR model and blur parameters of the transformed image. The AR parameters of the original image are then identified by using the least squares (LS) method. The restored image is obtained as a byproduct of the EM algorithm.